Matthew 6: 25-33 “Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. . . Look at the birds of the air. . . See the lilies of the field. . . Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
It was early morning as I walked into the meadow. The sky was still a purple haze with the night sounds of crickets and pond frogs all around. Walking along I thought, “Finding just the right spot is always so difficult in the early morning. Will I sit on an anthill? There are snakes around the creek and everybody knows my philosophy on snakes: ‘The best snake is a dead snake.’ And those blasted mosquitoes! I would have thought that they had had enough for the night and would be back in their nests. Ah, here’s a nice spot to sit.”
I continue on, “OK, Lord, I’m ready for You to pour Your spirit out on me.” The sun is about to rise, which causes me to think. “When I get to the office I need to rework my to do list, check for new orders, think about what I will eat for breakfast, and remember who I need to call this morning. Hmm, I wonder what time my favorite show is on tonight? Did my wife get the flea medicine for the dogs? How am I going to get that purchase order? What has happened at the Tellico Plains events over the weekend?”
And the list goes on.
Well, by now the sun has risen and I realize that time is slipping by, so I take a moment and thank God for a beautiful sunrise, and then I’m off to the day’s activities.
Has this ever happened to you? You plan to get away just to spend some time with God. You go outside, or to some remote location, just to listen to His voice, only to realize later that it did not happen as you planned.
That morning, I had gone out to get close to God, watch a wonderful sunrise, and just absorb His majesty. Instead, I found that I had only prepared my agenda for the day, which, by the way, did not include the Lord.
So, when I want to get close to God and listen to Him, I have to make a conscious effort to clear my mind of the distractions. Here’s how I’ve learned to do it:
Stop – I slow down my mind from worry, anticipation, or coming events.
Look – The world is such a beautiful creation. I see the ants working so hard to carry food or the squirrels preparing a nest for their young and the winter weather. Matthew 6: 25-34 takes on a much greater meaning after I have looked around at the activities of the birds, flowers, and animals. But that only comes by looking and paying attention.
Listen – God does not always speak in a roar, even though we see His power in the storms and tornadoes. His voice can be found in the whisper of the morning breeze, the gentle rain on maple leaves, or in the bird that calls out from the woodlands.
The point is that my attitude in drawing closer to God is my responsibility. He never hides Himself and can be found anytime and in any place. The problem ends up being how can I make some quiet time to wash my mind of worry and trouble to just be WITH God.
This week, make the effort to Stop, Look, and Listen for God.
You may discover more of what he has in store for your life.
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